Targeting by Police

FlashingExpert

Hey
I have recently switched to custom ROM on my Pixel8a device.
And while flashing different custom Roms I have noticed weird thing and that, no matter what custom ROM including Graphene OS I have flashed, there was always same screen that asked me to enter SIM pin before even system was loaded. LineageOS, GOS, same thing before even welcome screen loaded.
The truth is I am possibly targeted by Czech police (or any other instuitution with same tools) since I have started working as a security guy for Czech firefighters back in 2019 that's where this all hell started. So my question is does anyone of you heard/know something about this? Obviously these are not some usual tools to infect my device. Any Idea on how to get rid of this?
Seems like state driven stalking of my devices (weird stuff is happening also to all my devices I own)
Whether you believe anything about targeted individuals, this is basically what is happening to me right now (as I have find out later that it's highly similar)

de0u

FlashingExpert There was always same screen that asked me to enter SIM pin before even system was loaded.

Then what? Did you enter a PIN? If not, what did you do instead, and what happened next?

dhhdjbd

Did you do this?
https://grapheneos.org/install/cli#verified-boot-key-hash

and is there a sim in your phone?
i believe that is when the sim pin should appear if your sim has one, but i will test it and tell you

dhhdjbd

On Samsung (after factory reset):

(Samsung symbol, samsung galaxy secured by knox symbol, sasung galaxy symbol)
->
sim Pin
->
Welcome Screen

So i would assume if you have a sim pin, then this is when it should appear.

But maybe someone else knows more

raccoondad

"Any Idea on how to get rid of this?"

Type your sim pin, go into your settings, delete the PIN.

Alternatively: remove the SIM card, reboot phone, get new sim card without pin on it.

Or contact your carrier, ask for your SUK, use that to unlock your SIM, clear the pin

Your device is most likely not infected, you probably have a pin you might of accidentally put in. Regardless, removing the SIM, and then rebooting should remove the sim pin request.

Get a new SIM if you are concerned. This is expected behavior however for phones with locked SIMs in them, the device doesn't load until the SIM is unlocked.

tV0gr

I have never used this feature but to me this sound like a SIM PIN.

I am not an expert but if you feel comfortable doing this I would suggest that you remove the SIM card and re-install GrapheneOS using the command line. The installations instructions are quite good and needs to be followed to a T. It also works using a USB with a live linux image on it. That's probably not for everyone but once you have done it and needs to repeat the installation in the future it will be quite easy.

Again I am not an expert and I am not up-to-date with threats in real time nor do I pretend to know them all. While what you described might be caused by a SIM PIN, it doesn't necessarily rule out the other things you have observed. Do a quick research about Salt Typhoon and Volt Typhoon for example. They have been known to attack home and SMB routers, and there is a list out there of routers provided by ISP that are known targets and AFAIK those are not being patched. And although it was reportedly targeting high value target, the wiretapping infrastructure in the USA was targeted/compromised to some unknown extent, for months or possibly longer.

raccoondad

tV0gr "I am not an expert but if you feel comfortable doing this I would suggest that you remove the SIM card and re-install GrapheneOS using the command line"

No need to reinstall, the device won't ask for a PIN if the SIM isn't inserted at boot.

"hey have been known to attack home and SMB routers, and there is a list out there of routers provided by ISP that are known targets and AFAIK those are not being patched"

These attacks wouldn't effect a GOS device not connected to the internet, I would be shocked if a broadband related attack could effect GOS in any way like this (alongside other OSes).

This just feels like someone not realizing they have a SIM pin because no one really uses them, I could be wrong, but that raises other questions. Regardless we will see soon

tV0gr

raccoondad I meant to reinstall GOS using the command line as a way to regain confidence in his Pixel. I am under the impression that it is not the case right now.

I doubt it would affect GOS as well, but a cloud connected app might be at risk. I am doing my best to not make any assumption on where and how the phone is used, or what the other devices are. edit: I think the other "symptoms" should be necessarily discarded, whatever those symptoms are. I don't have the skills to analyse that.